"Evelyn, are you really sure about this?"
"Just like you were back then, Professor. I won't regret it."
Leah Hart closed her eyes for a long moment before speaking again, her voice low and cool.
"Forty-seven Easton Street. Everything I used is still there. The house belongs to my sister. Tell her you were my student. She'll give it to you."
"Thank you."
"You don't have to do this. Your brother… he's a good boy."
"That's exactly why I need to protect him. Goodbye, Professor. And… happy birthday."
When Evelyn stepped out of Loane Correction Facility, a harsh wind had picked up, sweeping dry yellow leaves across the pavement. Even the guards at the gate shivered against the cold. Her black dress fluttered sharply in the gusts, like a dark butterfly caught in a storm. She brushed her hair back and looked out at the glittering, indifferent city beyond the prison walls.
Years ago, Leah's husband had fallen from a rooftop, left gravely injured and permanently comatose. Surveillance showed him walking alone to the edge before stepping off. No sign of struggle. No evidence of interference. It was ruled an accident.
Only after Leah turned herself in did the truth surface. By then, everything outside had already been arranged, beginning the year Evelyn graduated under her.
She had been a good teacher. Evelyn had always believed that.
…
Noah leaned back in his dorm chair, staring at the white ceiling, zoning out.
Evelyn had just sent him several practice sets for next week's calculus competition. She hadn't pressured him, but since he had agreed to compete, he couldn't embarrass her.
The dorm was loud. Caleb and Ryan were lying on their beds scrolling through videos, the mix of chatter and phone noise making it hard to concentrate. Noah packed up his things and decided to head to the library.
Miles leaned down from his bunk. "Going to the library?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I'll come."
The library was quiet as usual. Noah picked a random seat, but Miles tugged his sleeve and pointed toward another section. It didn't seem any different, but Noah moved anyway and began working through the problems on his phone.
The questions were harder than usual. Even with solutions, some parts barely made sense. He'd probably need to ask Evelyn about them later.
He was so focused he didn't notice Miles staring diagonally across the room.
Maya had just posted a photo from the library.
As a devoted admirer, Miles had seen it instantly.
He had no real plan beyond sitting there and stealing glances.
"Hey, what's the point of these competition honors anyway?" Noah muttered quietly after a while. "Scholarships? Graduation awards?"
"No idea. Not like I'm getting one," Miles replied absentmindedly, still looking elsewhere. "If you win, at least it'll make Professor Miller happy."
"Honestly, I'd rather knit her a scarf. She'd probably like that more. If I knew how to knit."
"Yeah. A scarf's good."
"By the way, why'd you make us sit here? The lighting's worse."
No response.
"Miles?"
"Huh?"
Noah followed his line of sight and spotted Lila and Maya sitting together across the room.
"Oh. That's why."
"Not distracting you, right?"
"Not at all." Noah smiled faintly and returned to his screen.
As Lila's ex, he knew Maya well enough. She was pretty, outgoing, nothing obviously wrong about her. If Miles wanted to chase her, at least she wasn't the type to drag him into something messy.
A message popped up on his phone.
Lila:
Can I come sit there? I want to talk.
Noah:
You can come over.
Lila:
Maya doesn't want to.
He didn't reply. It probably wasn't important.
A moment later, Lila carried her books over and sat across from him.
"What are you working on?" she whispered.
"Practice problems. For the calculus competition."
"Since when do you care about competitions?"
"My sister wants me to do it."
Noah glanced at her briefly, then back to the page.
Lila pressed her lips together, brows tightening.
"You never used to listen to me like that."
"She's my sister."
The answer came easily.
"There's a singing competition at the cultural hall next week. I made the final round."
"That's great. You always did sing well."
"Will you come watch?"
"What time?"
"Thursday afternoon."
"That overlaps with the competition."
Her jaw tightened slightly.
"My performance is near the end. The math thing should be over by then."
He finished the last problem and finally looked up at her, smiling.
"If I finish in time, I'll come."
"You will, right?"
"I'll head over as soon as I'm done. If I can make it."
He stood and tapped Miles on the shoulder. "I'm done. You staying?"
Maya hadn't moved from her seat across the room.
Miles sighed. "Nah. I'll go too."
—
By the time the sun began to sink, Evelyn found the narrow, aging street hidden behind rows of polished high-rises.
It was hard to believe a city as modern and glittering as Loane still concealed places like this, corners untouched by renovation, heavy with the weight of time.
Number forty-seven was a low red-brick building, its metal security door mottled with rust.
She knocked.
A thin middle-aged woman opened it, her features drawn and weary, bearing a faint resemblance to Leah Hart.
"Yes?"
"Hello. I was Professor Hart's student. I'm here to pick something up."
"Her student… What's your name?"
"Evelyn Miller."
The woman studied her for a moment, then stepped aside as if she had just heard a password.
"Come in. I'll get it."
"Thank you."
Inside, the space was dim and sparsely furnished. A wooden table, low stools, embroidered curtains pulled tight over the windows. The air felt sealed in.
A minute later, the woman returned carrying a small paper box.
"She told me about you," she said quietly. "Said you were her best student. That you'd have a bright future."
Evelyn accepted the box with a polite smile.
"She gave me too much credit."
"She rarely praised anyone. But she said she was looking forward to seeing what you'd become."
Evelyn glanced inside. Plastic pill bottles labeled in careful handwriting. Two thick books. An old pocket watch.
She recognized all of it.
The corner of her mouth lifted faintly.
"Then… I'm afraid she may be disappointed."
…
By the time Noah reached the cafeteria, there was barely anything left. Dinner hours were nearly over. He ordered a bowl of plain vegetable noodles and sat in the corner, slurping them quietly.
Even after quitting his campus job, his college life was anything but relaxed. Work-study shifts, Language proficiency exams, computer certifications, now the calculus competition. He always found something to fill his time.
Since Evelyn started teaching at Loane University, their financial situation had improved significantly. Compared to her, he felt like the only one in the family still costing money.
Sometimes he wondered if he was trying to retrace her path out of pride. Growing up, everyone had told him to learn from his sister, to follow her example. And he had. Working part-time. Studying hard. Even caring for Lila the way Evelyn once cared for him.
After breaking up with Lila, he caught himself wondering whether Evelyn had ever felt the same quiet exhaustion he had felt in that relationship. Maybe he still owed her a proper thank you.
"Is that all you're eating for dinner?"
The faint scent of roses drifted toward him before her voice did. Evelyn sat across from him and pinched his cheek.
"When I'm not around, you don't eat properly?"
"It's light. See? There's vegetables. And noodles. And… more vegetables." He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Is that enough?"
"Of course. I used to eat this all the time."
"I send you plenty of money." Her fingers tightened slightly. "You're not wasting it somewhere, are you?"
"No, no. Go easy. That hurts."
"Then where's it going?"
"I'm saving it. I'm being responsible."
"Responsible enough to skip real food?"
He knew she had taken such complete care of him that he'd never learned how to fully take care of himself. Without her, daily life became something he managed just well enough.
He lifted a piece of greens toward her.
"It's actually good. Try it."
She gave him a skeptical look but leaned forward and ate it.
"It tastes like vegetables."
"You didn't even chew. The cafeteria lady told me you used to eat this all the time when you were a student. Plain. No extras. So you can't scold me."
Evelyn's brows drew together.
"That was different. I didn't have money. Do you think I'm not giving you enough now?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
She released him, clearly annoyed.
The noodles cost four dollars. Cheap. Barely seasoned. Not something most students chose unless they had to.
"You really think this is fine?" she asked.
He lowered his head and continued eating.
"I didn't want to make you mad."
She stood abruptly and walked away.
A few minutes later she returned with another bowl of the same noodles. Without a word, she placed a chicken leg from her bowl into his.
"Evelyn?"
"I haven't eaten either. And you've already irritated me enough."
He smiled awkwardly and didn't argue. When she gave something, she never took it back.
"Is it tiring, taking care of me?"
"If you behaved, it wouldn't be."
She gave him a sideways look.
"You look so obedient, but you're always testing me. Late rebellion?"
"Not really… If we're always together, wouldn't that mean you'd be tired forever?"
She smiled in a way that felt playful, yet something in it tightened his chest.
"I have plenty of ways to make you behave."
They finished eating in silence.
Outside his dorm building, he said softly, "I'll head back. See you tomorrow."
"See what?" She caught his wrist. "I never said I wasn't still upset. Come with me."
"Wait, what?"
He couldn't resist. She pulled him toward her faculty apartment.
Inside, she pushed him gently toward the bed. He lay back with exaggerated surrender.
"Do whatever you want. As long as you're not mad anymore."
"I'm going to shower first," she said lightly. "You'd better prepare yourself."